Snakes & Stars

Snakes and Stars is a brand new musical creation of Michael Travis (The String Cheese Incident, EOTO) and Aaron Johnston (Brazilian Girls, David Byrne’s American Utopia).  Long time friends and collaborators, Michael and Aaron were looking for new avenues of musical creation when Michael reached out to share a concept for a new Electronic Duo. They got together to check it out and it worked! It worked very, very well. The musical visions synchronized effortlessly and Snakes and Stars was born.

​The Sound:  Snakes and Stars consists of  two of live music’s top drummers exploring various idioms of electronic and dance music in a live, improvisational format.  While DJs play previous recorded tracks Snakes and Stars plays everything live and makes up the songs as they go.  Relying on a combined 60 years of live music experience, Travis and Johnston utilize vocals, synthesizers, electronic pads and triggers, drum kit, guitar, bass and samples to create a one of a kind musical experience in the moment. 

Every show is a unique experience, a playful interaction between the two artists, audience and the surrounding energy they collectively create together to guide the music.  No two shows will ever be the same.  The band finds its inspiration in deep electronic roots from minimal, trance, techno and house and downtempo along with contemporary electronic stylings like trap and dubstep , Snakes and Stars is a leap forward in today’s live music scene mixing improvisation with the most modern concepts  of modern dance music .